As online sales take over the retail market, it is essential to show strong trademark use of the marks on retail websites to maintain brand identity and support the trademark filings. There are specific requirements in the way one uses the mark on a website so that the USPTO will accept it as trademark use. For trademark owners that sell products as well as run a retail store, there can be applications for the online retail store services and also for the goods sold, assuming those goods are branded with the trademark owner’s trademark. An online retail store that sells the brands of others and not its own brand would not be able to use the website in support of an application for goods.
States are exploring a variety of methods to improve their collection of tax revenues from purchases made by their residents from out-of-state online and mail-order retailers.